FCC Reform Bill Would Shed Light on Opaque Process

November 17, 2015

Yesterday, the House, by a voice vote, approved legislation to make the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) more transparent, efficient, and accountable. Among other reforms, the bill would increase public transparency of items before the Commission by eliminating the pernicious practice of placing large amounts of information into the record on the last day of the public comment period.

The bill would also amend the Sunshine Act to allow more than two Commissioners to meet privately after the comment period ends in the weeks leading up to a vote, facilitating candid conversation and, ideally, resulting in less politicized votes. Previously, in the run-up to a vote, Commissioners could communicate only through staffers or on a one-on-one basis.

In an effort to get bipartisan support, Republicans agreed to water down a provision that would have required the FCC to publish all final rules 30 days before voting on them. Instead, the bill merely requires the FCC to launch a proceeding to examine whether such early publication is feasible and prudent. The bill will be discussed at today’s Congressional FCC oversight hearing.

“The FCC reform bill is very good news for consumers even though it was watered down in order to get bipartisan support,” said Tom Struble, Policy Counsel for TechFreedom. “For too long, the FCC has operated as a Star Chamber, proceeding in secret and hiding critical information from public view. This reform bill sheds new light on agency proceedings its passage bodes well for a long overdue update of the Communications Act, including a broadband deployment package and a legislative end to the decade-long partisan tangle over net neutrality.”

Tech Freedom is a non-profit, non-partisan technology think tank launched in 2011. TechFreedom is excited about the future. Focusing on issues of Internet freedom and technological progress, we work to protect innovation and discovery from powers that fear change. Technology is the great driver of social progress and human well-being, and we aim to keep it that way.